csgb-rules-book.pdf - central sikh gurdwara board
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Central Sikh Gurdwara Board
Rules & Act 1987
Central Sikh Gurdwara Board
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JESWANT SINGH BANDAL
PRESIDENT
CENTRAL SIKH GURDWARA BOARD
SINGAPORE
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Incorporation of Board
(1) There shall be constituted in Singapore a body corporate
under the name of the Central Sikh Gurdwara Board (referred
to in this Act as the Board).
(2) The Board may sue and be sued in its said name and shall
have perpetual succession and a common seal which seal
the Board may from time to time alter or make anew as it
shall see fit to do.
(3) All deeds, documents and other instruments requiring the
seal of the Board shall be sealed with the common seal of
the Board in the presence of the President, the Treasurer and
the Secretary of the Board, and shall be signed by the
President, the Treasurer and the Secretary of the Board. Such
signing shall be taken as sufficient evidence of the due sealing
of those deeds, documents and other instruments.
Constitution of Board
(1) The Board shall consist of such number of members who are
elected at an annual general meeting by persons whose names
appear on the Membership Register maintained by the Board
under section 5.
CENTRAL SIKH GURDWARA BOARD ACT
(CHAPTER 357)
Short title
1. This Act may be cited as the Central Sikh Gurdwara Board Act.
2.
3.
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(2) Every elected member of the Board shall hold office for a
term of two years, but may continue in office until the election
of his successor in office.
(3) No person shall be elected or appointed as a member of the
Board unless he is a citizen of Singapore and his name is on
the Membership Register maintained by the Board under
section 5.
(4) Members of the Board shall be eligible for re-election or re-
appointment.
Act 6/87 wef. 1.3.87. Vide. S 56/87
Officials of Board
(1) The Board shall elect a President, a Treasurer and a Secretary
and may elect such other officials as it may consider
necessary, all of whom shall be from among the members of
the Board except that no member of the Board shall hold
office as a Treasurer for more than two years consecutively.
(2) The persons so elected under subsection (1) are in this Act
referred to as officials of the Board.
Membership Register
The Board shall maintain a register (referred to in this Act as
the Membership Register) containing the names and other
particulars of persons who profess the Sikh faith.
Act 6/87. wef. 1.3.87
4.
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Vacation of office of member of Board
6. If any member of the Board dies, resigns or otherwise vacates
his office before the expiry of his term, the remaining
members of the Board shall appoint a person to fill the
vacancy for the residue of the term for which his predecessor
was elected.
Act 6/87. wef. 1.3.87
Duties of Board
(1)The Board shall act in accordance with the terms of resolutions
passed at meetings of the Board. At any such meeting 50%
of the members present shall form a quorum. No business
shall be transacted unless a quorum is present.
Act 6/87.
(2) Notwithstanding subsection (1), the Board shall be bound
by and shall give effect to any resolution that may be passed
at any general meeting of persons whose names are on the
Membership Register.
Meetings of Board
(1) The President of the Board shall preside at all meetings of
the Board. If the President of the Board is not present at any
meeting, the members present at the meeting shall elect one
of their number to preside at the meeting.
(2) Resolutions of the Board shall be in accordance with the
votes of the majority of the members present. In the event of
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8.
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an equality of votes, the President of the Board or the person
presiding at the meeting shall have a casting vote.
Board may exercise powers despite vacancy
9. The Board may at all times exercise all its powers and carry
out all its duties under this Act notwithstanding that there
shall be any vacancy or vacancies in the membership of the
Board.
Minutes
(1) The Secretary of the Board shall keep minutes of all meetings
of the Board and at every meeting the minutes of the previous
meeting, which shall have been previously circulated to
members of the Board, shall be confirmed, subject to any
amendment which may be required.
(2) The minutes referred to in subsection (1) shall be entered in
the minute book of the Board and shall include a full record
of every resolution of the Board.
Act 6/87.
Disqualifications for membership of Board
11. No person shall be elected or appointed or shall continue to
hold office as a member of the Board if:
(a) he is an undischarged bankrupt or suspends payment to, or
makes any arrangement or composition with, his creditors;
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(b) he has been sentenced to imprisonment for a term of not less
than 6 months and has not received a free pardon; or
(c) a resolution is passed at an extra-ordinary general meeting
of those persons whose names appear on the Membership
Register calling for the removal of such member from office.
Act 6/87. wef. 1.3.87.
Powers of Board
12. The Board may
(a) acquire, purchase, lease, hold and enjoy movable and
immovable property of every description for use in
connection with any temple except that the Board shall not
exercise such powers in regard to immovable property
without a resolution being first passed at a general meeting
of persons whose names are on the Membership Register;
(b) sell, exchange, convey, assign, surrender, mortgage, demise,
reassign, transfer or otherwise dispose of and deal with any
of such property except that the Board shall not exercise such
powers in regard to immovable property without a resolution
being first passed at a general meeting of persons whose
names are on the Membership Register;
(c) erect such buildings on land belonging to the Board or on
land acquired by the Board as may appear to the Board
necessary or desirable for the purposes of any temple or for
use in connection therewith; and
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(d) raise funds by means of voluntary subscriptions for the
purposes of exercising its powers, performing its duties and
discharging its obligations under this Act.
Funds of Board
(1)All funds belonging to the Board shall be kept in a bank or
banks as may be approved by the Board.
(2)The Board's funds shall be preserved, invested, utilised,
disposed of and paid out in accordance with the resolutions
passed under section 8 (2) and with any rules made under
section 16.
Accounts
(1) The Board shall at least once in every year prepare an account
of the funds and other property of the Board and of the way
in which such funds and other property have been utilised
and disposed of.
(2) All such accounts shall be signed by the Treasurer of the
Board and shall be audited by two persons whose names are
on the Membership Register and have been elected to serve
as such at the biennial general meeting of persons whose
names are on the Membership Register.
Act 6/87.
Liability of members of Board
15. No member of the Board shall be personally liable for or in
connection with any act or omission done or committed in
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good faith and without gross negligence as such member of
the Board nor for any debt, liability, act or omission of the
Board.
Rules
16. The Board may make rules not inconsistent with the provisions
of this Act for all or any of the following purposes:
(a) to regulate the keeping, revision and publication of the
Membership Register, and to prescribe the conditions
required to be complied with, including the payment of fees,
to entitle a person to have his name entered on the
Membership Register;
(b) to regulate the election of members of the Board, and to
provide for the declaration and publication of the results of
such election;
(c) to regulate the calling and conduct of general meetings of
persons whose names are on the Membership Register, and
the procedure in the transaction of business thereat;
(d) to regulate the election of officials of the Board and to provide
for the declaration and publication of the results of that
election;
(e) to regulate the proceedings of the Board, the calling of
meetings and the procedure for the transaction of business;
(f) for the appointment of sub-committees;
(g) to regulate the appointment, conduct, dismissal and
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remuneration of granthis or priests, ragis or musicians, and
such other religious personnel as the Board may think fit;
(h) to allocate duties to and to regulate the executive power of
the Board, sub-committees and officials of the Board;
(i) to regulate the keeping, audit, presentation and publication
of accounts, including quarterly accounts; and to provide for
the inspection of accounts by persons whose names are on
the Membership Register;
(j) to regulate the conduct of religious services and other
ceremonies customary among the followers of the Sikh
religion;
(k) to regulate the admission of boarders, inmates or visitors;
(l) to regulate the appointment, conduct, dismissal and
remuneration of servants of the Board;
(m) to regulate the use of any portion of the land and premises
vested in the Board for the purposes of education; and
(n) generally to carry out the purposes of this Act.
Act 6/87.
Service of documents
17. Any writ of summons or other legal process and any notice
may be served on the Board by serving it on an official of
the Board or by leaving it at, or sending it by registered post
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to, the Central Sikh Temple, Singapore.
Saving of other rights
18. Nothing in this Act shall affect the rights of the Government
or of any bodies politic or corporate or of any other persons,
except such persons as are mentioned in this Act and those
claiming by, from or under them.
Vesting of property in Board
19. Upon the commencement of this Act, all property, movable
and immovable, vested in the Queen Street Gurdawara Board
of Trustees (Incorporated) and the Silat Road Gurdwara
Board of Trustees (Incorporated) (referred to in this Act as
the former Boards) for purposes relating to the Sikh religion
or on trust for religious or charitable purposes for the benefit
of persons professing the Sikh religion shall vest in the Board
without further assurance for the like title, estate or interest
and in the like tenure and for the like purposes as the same
was vested or held immediately before the commencement
of this Act.
Transitional provision
(1) Notwithstanding the repeal of section 3 of the principal Act,
members of the Central Sikh Gurdwara Board holding office
immediately prior to the commencement of the Central Sikh
Gurdwara Board holding office immediately prior to the
commencement of the Central Sikh Gurdwara Board
(Amendment) Act 1987 shall continue to hold office until
new members of the Board are elected in accordance with
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section 3 of the principal Act as amended by this Act.
(2) The members of the existing Central Sikh Gurdwara Board
appointed by the Minister under section 3 (4) of the principal
Act shall, within 6 months of the commencement of the
Central Sikh Gurdwara Board (Admendment) Act 1987,
convene a general meeting of those persons whose names
are on the Membership Register for the purpose of electing
new members of the Board.
(3) The first two auditors appointed by the Minister immediately
prior to the commencement of the Central Sikh Gurdwara
Board (Amendment) Act 1987 shall continue to hold office
until new auditors are elected in accordance with section 14
(2) of the principal Act as amended by this Act.
ACT 6/87 WEF 1.3.87
Transitional provision
(1) Subject to subsection (2), every agreement, whether in writing
or not, to which any of the former Boards was a party
immediately before the commencement of this Act, and
whether or not of such nature that the rights and liabilities
thereunder could be assigned, shall have effect as from the
commencement of this Act as if
(a) the Board had been a party to such an agreement; and
(b) for any reference (however worded and whether expressed
or implied) to the former Boards there were substituted in
respect of anything to be done on or after the commencement
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of this Act a reference to the Board.
(2) The appointment of any officer or employee of the former
Boards subsisting immediately before the commencement
of this Act shall, if that officer or employee so agrees, be
deemed to be made by the Board, and for the purpose of
determining the rate of pension and gratuities on retirement
the service of that officer or employee shall be regarded as
continuous from the time he was appointed by the former
Boards.
(3) Where anything has been commenced by or under the
authority of the former Boards before the commencement of
this Act, that thing may be carried on and completed by or
under the authority of the Board.
(4) All rights, obligations and liabilities which immediately
before the commencement of this Act were vested in or
incurred by the former Boards shall pass by succession to
the Board, and the Board shall have all powers necessary to
recover and deal with those rights and discharge those
obligations and liabilities.
Central Sikh Gurdwara Board Act (CHAPTER 357)
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1. STANDING ORDERS
1.1. The President of the Board shall be the Chairman at the
Biennial General Meeting for all items on the Agenda
(and shall have a casting vote in the event of a tie on any
matters requiring a vote count) EXCEPT for the item on
election of new Council members, which shall be
conducted by the Elections Chairman. In the President’s
absence, the selection of the Chairman for the BGM shall
be done in the following sequence:
1.1.1. Vice President of the Board
1.1.2. Chairman of either Central Sikh Temple, Silat
Road Sikh Temple and Sikh Centre
1.1.3. Any other person elected by the members
present at the BGM
1.2. Unless one quarter of the total number of members or
100 members, whichever is lesser, are present at the time
prescribed for the commencement of the meeting, the
meeting shall be adjourned for half an hour. At the end
of the half hour, those members present at the adjourned
meeting shall form a quorum.
1.3. At the adjourned meeting, members present shall have no
power to alter, amend or make additions to any of the
existing rules.
1.4. Once the meeting is called to order, all members will co-
operate with the Chairman to help him conduct the
proceedings in a peaceful and orderly manner.
1.5. All questions submitted will be read by the Chairman.
CENTRAL SIKH GURDWARA BOARD
BIENNIAL GENERAL MEETING
Standing Orders & Election Procedures
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Answers will be given by the Chairman or by the person
authorized by him to do so.
1.6. The person who submitted the question will be allowed
to speak once after the Chairman has replied.
1.7. Members are to identify themselves and seek permission
from the Chairman before they speak and shall not
interrupt others who have the floor.
1.8. The ruling of the Chairman shall be final.
1.9. If any member disobeys the above rules or behaves in a
disorderly manner, then the Chairman has the authority
to request the member to leave the meeting; and if the
member refuses to comply with the ruling from the Chair,
he will be ruled out of the meeting.
2. ELECTION OF COUNCIL MEMBERS
2.1. ELIGIBILITY CRITERIA
Only members who meet the following criteria shall be eligible
to stand for election to the Council:
2.1.1. Not less than 21 years of age as at 1st January
of that year
2.1.2. Citizens of Singapore
2.1.3. Profess the Sikh faith
2.1.4. Keep unshorn hair and untrimmed beard
2.1.5. Their names appear in the Membership Register
as at 31st December of the preceding year
2.1.6. Not disqualified from standing for elections by
virtue of Section 11 of the Central Sikh
Gurdwara Board Act which states that:
No person shall be elected or appointed or shall continue to
hold office as a member of the Board if:
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• he is an undischarged bankrupt or suspends payment to,
or makes any arrangement or composition with his
creditors;
• he has been sentenced to imprisonment for a term of not
less than 6 months and has not received a free pardon; or
• a resolution is passed at an extra-ordinary general meeting
of those persons whose names appear on the Membership
Register calling for the removal of such member from
office.
All members of the outgoing Council are eligible for re-election.
2.2. NOMINATION PROCEDURES
2.2.1. All nominations of eligible candidates must be
completed using the prescribed Form A attached
and will require a proposer and seconder whose
names appear in the Register of Members and
are eligible to vote.
2.2.2. Any person wishing to offer himself for election
as a member of the Council shall first make a
Declaration in the presence of the President of
the Board in accordance with Form B attached
hereto and such declaration shall be duly
completed before the nomination can be
submitted.
2.2.3. All duly completed Nomination Forms must
reach the Secretary of the Board at least five
calendar days before the date of the Biennial
General Meeting at a time stipulated by the
Secretary.
2.2.4. The Secretary of the Board shall verify the
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eligibility of all the candidates being nominated
for election and that of the proposers and
seconders. Any error or omission in the
Nomination Form will result in the nomination
being rejected.
2.3. ELECTION PROCEDURES
2.3.1. The Council shall comprise 25 members. In the
event there are 25 or fewer nominations
accepted by the closing date, all the nominated
members shall be deemed to have been elected
to the Council
2.3.2. In the event that the elected council comprises
fewer than 25 members, the incoming Council
shall be empowered to co-opt and appoint such
additional members as required from the
Register of Members to bring the number up to
25.
2.3.3. In the event there are 26 or more nominations
and elections are required, an Elections
Chairman shall be appointed to conduct the
elections. The appointed Elections Chairman
shall not be a candidate nominated for elections.
His/her role at the General Meeting shall only
pertain to the elections procedures and related
matters and he/she shall have no role in the other
items on the agenda.
2.3.4. In the preparation of the ballot papers, the
names of the incumbent team (including their
new nominees) shall be listed first, followed
by the names of all other aspiring candidates.
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2.3.5. All voting shall be by secret ballot only and no
proxy voting shall be allowed.
2.3.6. Voting can start at any time after the President’s
Address at the Biennial General Meeting and
shall end at a time stipulated by the Elections
Chairman.
2.3.7. The 25 candidates obtaining the highest number
of votes shall be declared elected. Where two
or more candidates at the cut-off point receive
an equal number of votes, a re-vote shall be
taken in the case of such candidates, and in the
event of a tie after such re-vote, the Chairman
of the meeting shall have a casting vote.
2.3.8. Nominated members are eligible to be elected
into the Council even if they are unable to attend
the Biennial General Meeting.
2.3.9. The outgoing Council shall hold office
throughout the Biennial General Meeting and
the elections process until it hands over its
charge to the newly elected Council within two
weeks after the election results are announced.
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FOR OFFICIAL USE BY SECRETARY CSGB
RECEIVED : Date: _________ Time : _______
Accepted/ Rejected _____________________
Signature(Secretary CSGB)
Comments: __________________________________________
Full Name: NRIC:
Address: CSGB Membership No:
Singapore
I, the above-named, do hereby accept the nomination for election to the
Council of the Central Sikh Gurdwara Board and submit my nomination
together with the duly completed ‘Declaration’ - Form B.
NOMINEE SIGNATURE: Date:
PROPOSER
Name
NRIC:
Address:
Singapore
CSGB Membership No:
Signature:
Date:
The Nominee must check that this Form is duly and fully completed before
submitting it to the Board’s Secretary. Any error or omission will result in the
nomination being rejected.
SECONDER
Name
NRIC:
Address:
Singapore
CSGB Membership No:
Signature:
Date:
NOMINEE
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CENTRAL SIKH GURDWARA BOARD
DECLARATION FORM FOR ELECTIONS (FORM B)
I, _______________________________________________________
NRIC No. ____________ CSGB Membership No:_______________
of (Address ) _________________ Singapore __________________
Do hereby solemnly and sincerely declare that:
(a) I am not less than 21 years of age
(b) I am a Singapore Citizen
(c) I profess the Sikh faith
(d) I keep unshorn hair and untrimmed beard
(e) My name was in the Membership Register as at 31st December
2010
(f) I am not disqualified from standing for elections by virtue of Sec-
tion 11 of the Central Sikh Gurdwara Board Act which states that:
“No person shall be elected or appointed or shall continue to hold office
as a member of the Council if:
(1) He is an undischarged bankrupt or suspends payment to , or
makes any arrangement or compositioKn with, his creditor
(2) He has been sentenced to imprisonment for a term of not less than
6 months and has not received a free pardon; or
(3) A resolution is passed at an extra-ordinary general meeting of those
persons whose names appear on the Membership Register calling
for the removal of such member from office.”
Signature of Nominee______________________Date______________
Declared in the presence of:
_____________________________
Name & Signature
President, Executive Committee
Central Sikh Gurdwara Board
Date: _______________________
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Notes:
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Notes:
Reprinted : July 2013
sYNtrl is`K gurduAwrw borf
inXm Aqy AYkt 1987